Members: Information and Communications Technology

Frank Field: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether he plans to make personal digital assistants available for use by hon. Members.

Nick Harvey: Personal digital assistants (PDAs) and Smartphones are available to Members via PICT, the parliamentary ICT service. This service has been available since June 2006. The devices and their voice and data costs are met by individual Members while the supporting infrastructure is funded centrally. The product range is regularly reviewed and at present four different devices can be selected. Blackberries are not available under this service because none of the responses received to the full EU tender proposed that product.